An architects' group has sought legal advice in an attempt to force the Government to drop its ban on civil servants taking part in a high-profile design contest for the West Kowloon reclamation area.
The move by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects comes just three days before registration for the competition ends on Friday.
The 40-hectare waterfront site will be open for competition among local and overseas planners and architects. The best design will win $3 million.
But the Government has insisted its staff cannot enter the contest on grounds of fairness.
A technical panel, chaired by Director of Planning Bosco Fung Chee-keung and Director of Architectural Services Pau Shiu-hung, will be set up to assess entries before they are submitted to the jury for rating.
As a safeguard against conflict of interest, the competition prohibits employees of, or anyone having professional or partnership links with, the two officials from taking part.
That would effectively leave about 400 government planners and architects unable to take part, the institute said.